Combustor of a Turbine, a Method of Retro-Fitting a Combustor of a Turbine and a Method of Building a Combustor of a Turbine

Abstract

A combustor of a turbine, a method of retro-fitting a combustor of a turbine and a method of building a combustor of a turbine are each provided. The combustor includes a combustion chamber along which a dilution breach is defined, a casing perimetrically surrounding the combustion chamber so as to define an airflow between the casing and the combustion chamber, the airflow being configured to supply dilution air to the combustion chamber via the dilution breach, and an easy to adjust dilution airflow tuning part disposed on the casing and in communication with the airflow. The dilution airflow tuning part is configured to increase and/or decrease an available amount of the dilution air to be supplied to the combustion chamber.

1 . A combustor of a turbine comprising:
 a combustion chamber, in which fuel combustion occurs and along which a dilution breach is defined;   a casing perimetrically surrounding the combustion chamber to define an airflow between the casing and the combustion chamber, the airflow being configured to supply dilution air to the combustion chamber via the dilution breach; and   a dilution airflow tuning part disposed on the casing and in communication with the airflow, the dilution airflow tuning part being configured to increase and/or decrease an available amount of the dilution air to be supplied to the combustion chamber.   
   
   
       2 . The combustor according to  claim 1 , wherein the dilution airflow tuning part comprises a dilution air-tune device. 
   
   
       3 . The combustor according to  claim 2 , wherein the dilution air-tune device has a shape of a spark plug. 
   
   
       4 . The combustor according to  claim 3 , wherein the dilution air-tune device comprises:
 a rotatable inner component having first bleed holes in communication with an exterior of the dilution air-tune device; and   an outer component having second bleed holes in communication with the airflow which positionally agree and/or disagree with the first bleed holes in accordance with the rotation of the inner component.   
   
   
       5 . The combustor according to  claim 4 , wherein the positional agreement and/or disagreement increases and/or decreases the available amount of the dilution air to be supplied to the combustion chamber. 
   
   
       6 . The combustor according to  claim 3 , wherein a dilution air-porosity of the dilution air-tune device is modified by manipulation of a dilution airflow tuning component installed therein to increase and/or decrease the available amount of the dilution air. 
   
   
       7 . The combustor according to  claim 6 , wherein an operator manipulates the dilution airflow tuning component. 
   
   
       8 . The combustor according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a servo mechanism which is configured to manipulate the dilution airflow tuning component; and   a controller, operably coupled to the combustion chamber and to the servo mechanism, which is configured to monitor the fuel combustion and to transmit a signal to the servo mechanism to manipulate the dilution airflow tuning component.   
   
   
       9 . The combustor according to  claim 2 , wherein the dilution air-tune device has a shape of a cross-fire tube. 
   
   
       10 . A method of fitting a combustor of a turbine, including a fuel combustion chamber, and a casing perimetrically surrounding the combustion chamber and defining an airflow from which dilution air is supplied to the combustion chamber via a dilution breach, the method comprising:
 measuring a fuel combustion characteristic;   determining that an available amount of the dilution air to be supplied to the combustion chamber is below a predetermined threshold based on the measured fuel combustion characteristic; and   installing a dilution airflow tuning part onto the casing and in communication with the airflow so as to increase and/or decrease an available amount of the dilution air to be supplied to the combustion chamber.   
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 10 , further comprising determining a quantity of the available amount of the dilution air subsequent to the installing of the dilution airflow tuning part. 
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising manipulating the dilution airflow tuning part to modify the available amount of the dilution air if the quantity of the available amount of the dilution air is determined to be below a predetermined threshold. 
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the installing of the dilution airflow tuning part onto the casing comprises:
 replacing a spark plug of the combustor with a dilution air-tune device.   
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the installing of the dilution airflow tuning part onto the casing comprises:
 replacing a cross-fire tube of the combustor with a dilution air-tune device.   
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the installing of the dilution airflow tuning part onto the casing comprises:
 initially installing a boss onto the casing to support the dilution airflow tuning part.   
   
   
       16 . A method of providing a combustor of a turbine comprising:
 forming a fuel combustion chamber;   forming a dilution breach along an exterior of the combustion chamber;   perimetrically surrounding the combustion chamber with a casing to define an airflow between the casing and the combustion chamber, the airflow being configured to supply dilution air to the combustion chamber via the dilution breach; and   installing a dilution airflow tuning part onto the casing and in communication with the airflow to thereby be positioned to increase and/or decrease an available amount of the dilution air to be supplied to the combustion chamber.   
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the forming of the dilution breach comprises setting dimensions of the dilution breach to initial values thereof, and
 wherein the installing of the dilution airflow tuning part comprises setting a dilution air-porosity of the dilution airflow tuning part to an initial level in accordance with the initial values of the dimensions of the dilution breach.   
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising determining a quantity of the available amount of the dilution air. 
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18 , further comprising manipulating the dilution airflow tuning part to increase and/or decrease the available amount of the dilution air if the quantity is determined to be below a predetermined threshold. 
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the installing of the dilution airflow tuning part onto the casing comprises:
 installing the dilution airflow tuning part onto a boss previously installed on the casing.